Shining of the Blade
One Sky, Two Clouds The great walls of rose high into the sky. The famous city walls has guards placed around them on the outermost gate, known plainly as the Outer Wall. A man walkforward, a strawhat was on his head, obscuring his face. The guards saw the man and crossed their large spears to block the man from walking any further. "Halt! State your business with Ba Sing Se," demanded one of the guards, a strong man with scars on his face, indicating the life of one who knew battle and combat. "Easy, my friend. I mean no harm," the traveller said. The man looked up and removed his hat. Black hair fell into his face, again hiding his eyes. The man, with a brush of his hand, pushed the hair out of the way. Finally, his eyes could be seen. Shining in the sun, the eyes were like pools of molten gold, giving the man an intimidating, yet warm appearance. The man shifted his gaze to the battle scarred man. "I wish to visit the city. I have an old colleague of mine I wish to... catch up with. My name is Taiyang." said the man of golden eyes. This was no lie per se a lie. He was indeed hunting for former members of the disbanded Huolong who escaped punishment, and rumors spread indicated some entered the great city of Ba Sing Se. Furthermore, it is believed they carried something of far greater value to Taiyang than merely capturing them for the or some personal vendetta. The guards looked at Taiyang, and then at each other. While the man was fit, he was by no means as large as the majority of the Ba Sing Se guards. Should he end up causing trouble, which they feel he could with his Fire Nation appearance and a lingering bias towards the home of the firebenders from the conquering of the city, the guards could easily recapture him. "Alright, Taiyang, we will allow you into the city. Cause no trouble or you will be removed, forcefully." the scarred guard said as he uncrossed his spear from the other guard's. With a stomp of his foot, he an opening into the wall. Taiyang bowed as he entered. "I shall bring you some tea when I exit the city. Thank you my friends." said Taiyang with a smile as he entered the city. Taiyang gazed over the proud, powerful city with a look of amazement. Asking around from various citizens, Taiyang began to make his way to the various carts. Producing a passport, one forged in an obviosuly illegal network, Taiyang sat as he moved towards the Upper Ring. His destination: the . ---- "You wanted to see me?" Wei Meng emerged from the shady halls of an ancient hideout carved in a combination of earth and crystal. Although full to the brim with eyes, arms and legs, his voice echoed in the spacious cave as if replying to his own question. Yet his words went unheard to those who were not meant to listen. The Jade Maiden swordsman remained unnerved when a mighty stone slab of earth suddenly slammed against the ground from above. In fact, there were few things that could surprise Wei Meng in the Honey Badger headquarters; except the sudden influx of firebenders, especially the five or four he saw standing next to the silhouette of his leader. "Ah yes, Duya." The leader spoke with a raspy voice that betrayed both his age and affiliation. It was the voice of one who traveled among the darkness for countless nights, who laughed over the evilness of the world and committed countless tragedies. Wei Meng knew this man all too well. He, who upon his first night in Ba Sing Se, convinced the newly arrived swordsman to join his establishment and thus embark on an never ending adventure of the underworld. It was not his desire of Master Huashan, who taught him of life and death, to join the Jianghu life. But Wei Meng knew that to surpass his master, he required the experience of the world that forged his master into a powerful sword. And the old man covered in darkness who sat before him served as the perfect bridge. But the swordsman felt something burn in his heart as he watched the firebenders, utterly disgusting in both personality and appearance, covered in expensive clothing and jewelry. "These are former members of the fire nation's Huolong, the police branch responsible for protecting the law of the land fervently. After a short demonstration and a gracious gift, they have more than proved themselves capable." The Honey Badger boss addressed his third highest subordinate. "They will now serve the Honey Badger's as my immediate guards. As one of my favored subordinates, I only find it obvious that you should become acquainted with them and show them both Ba Sing Se and our little establishment." "Gracious gift?" Wei Meng pondered, more so disturbed by the lack of his own payment when considering the duty requested of him. His eyes jumped from each firebender in his presence before resting on the leader once more. Silence had befallen on the men as the leader patiently waited for judgement. Whether or not he would truly accept the firebenders or the task was something none could accurately predict of the temperamental swordsman, whose personality and emotions resembled the ocean. The normal, calm visage usually seen was twisted into a disappointed snarl. "Why do you need these slabs of meat?" "Hey! Watch your tongue child, before I burn it out of your mouth." The tallest traitor roared. "You couldn't burn my tongue burn my tongue if you made me a cup of tea!" His words garnered infamy for lacking a hint of restraint or fear. Instead, they were filled to the brim with excitement, almost inviting the challenger to step forward and potentially lose their head. "A few firebenders won't make a difference at all. They'll only get in my way!" "There is the problem, Duya." The leader finally answered after minutes of silence. "You're impossible to read as your heart belongs to none. You have many faces, which I doubt you even know is the real one." Those words seemed to fall on Wei Meng who could only listen. "In this world, the world of Rivers and Lakes, even criminals practice fealty to one another. Whether to a leader or to one's own brothers and sisters, they pledge their spirit in both life and death. But you have yet to perform this sacred bond with anyone of the Honey Badgers. Believe me, I find you more useful and interesting than anyone in this establishment. But without your heart, without your bond, you are nothing more than a pair of beautifully crafted swords to an earthbender." Wei Meng let his words echo weakly throughout the massive cave before disappearing into a thick silence. As smoothly as night turns into day and day into night, a tense tranquility befell the occupants of the room. He wanted to argue, to oppose those painful words and deny their accuracy at the top of his lungs. "Heartless..." A word that plagued him recently; it was ironic considering his youth...for his heart had allowed the world to betray him ten times over. But he could only accept them as truth. "I pray for the day I have your heart. But until then, I must think of the Honey Badgers." The boss finished. "Please, forgive me. You're the only person I'm entrusting this task to. For although I am unable to read your heart, I know I can trust-" "You're right." Wei Meng started to smile. But in his smile was a certain acceptance, a miniature enlightenment that came with understanding oneself and accepting freedom. "I'm nothing more than a breeze of wind, attempting to find a place to rest. But there's no rest for the wicked. I'm resigning, the sudden luggage would mean a decrease in coin for myself." He started to walk towards the exit, turning away from his former boss; who appeared somewhat saddened at the lost. "Do you want us to stop him?!" The tallest firebender roared. Both he and his squadron seemed unfazed by the sudden turn of events, only thirsting for another victim to roast; especially one who had threatened to kill them minutes before. "No. You wouldn't stand a chance here. Allow him to leave. We'll cross paths again and if he insist, then you'll be able to satisfy your hunger." The boss spoke without remorse. The guards at the exit quickly opened the earthen slab and closed it after Wei Meng entered the following chamber. He could only smile as he embraced the darkness. "A breeze of wind that forgot what it was, rested beneath a mountain. Only to once more find freedom." Wei Meng entered his favorite shop, the Jasmine Dragon and sat at a distant table near a window. He watched the world pass by, almost an outsider, a spectator enjoying an elaborate play. But could he really enjoy it? Another act in a rather long story that he was too scared to end. New scenery. New people. New challenges. He could only take a sip of the infamous lotus tea and sigh. Whereas he once spoke of killing gods and discovering the Jade Maiden, who influenced his master decades before, the young swordsman could only sit and ponder where destiny would guide him. He once felt that he was a mountain in a windstorm, disobeying the rules of fate. But now, he started to even question his own position in the matter. ---- The cart stopped within the walls of the Upper Ring. Taiyang filed off with the rest of the visitors of the noble area. "Alright... the informative said to check the Jasmine Dragon for the gang member. I suppose, though, I can stop for the tea itself as well." Taiyang mumbled to himself as he walked to the area. After many turns and feeling as if he had gotten lost, his eyes caught something. A fairly sized green building rested on the top of a set of steps. It's brown roof seemed newly built despite years of being open. Round windows opened, allowing Taiyang to few the clientele sipping from cups. The giveaway was on the front of the building, two golden dragons danced around each other. This buidling was none other than the famed Jasmine Dragon founded by the great General . As Taiyang walked up the steps, a statue of Iroh sat in front of the building, honoring him. The legendary general, once viewed as a failure for abadoning the city after his son died, was now a hero within its walls for reclaiming the city with the help of an . Taiyang, above all other Fire Nation figures in history, revered the great general as an enlightened man and the greatest man the Fire NAtion has ever produced. Taiyang bowed to the statue, showing his respect. "I wish I could have met you, wise Iroh. Rest well." A small line was formed outside the building, but the service was excellent. The lined shortened faster than Taiyang expected. Finally, he was at the counter with his money prepared. "I would like a cup of lotus tea, with honey in it please." Taiyang orderred as he placed down his payment. The host smiled and nodded as he told workers in the back the new order. Mere moments passed until finally the cup was placed in front of Taiyang. Taiyang sat in the center of the building. He raised the cup to his mouth and sipped the tea. The flavor was wonderful, worthy of the recipes of the tea-loving Iroh. Despite this, the tea was not as warm as Taiyang expected. Carefully, Taiyang used his firebending to heat the tea up to a more suitable temperature. "Surely that is appropriate use of my abilities," the firebender joked to himself and he took another sip and sat the cup down. Taiyang looked around the building, attempting to find the man that was described to him by the informant. Not being able to see him, Taiyang went to grab his cup. However, as he did this, a man walked into the building. A black and green cloak, a medallian of some sort on his neck, and black hair hanging slightly below his jawline. Taiyang drank of his cup as he looked at the man: Wei Meng of the Honeybadger Gang. "The Huolong will not be able to hide for long if this is him." Taiyang said under his breath as he accepted a refill for a small charge. Heating the cup once again, Taiyang stood up from his seat and made his way over to the window seat where the man was sitting. "How is the tea you got? I've been curious about the tapioca, but I don't know how I feel about solids in my drinks," Taiyang said as he sat down in front of the gang member. Taking yet another sip of his tea, Taiyang noticed the swords of the man. "Lovely weapons, though swords were never my favorite weapon," Taiyang began "but that isn't why I came over to talk to you really." Taiyang placed his cup down. "Alright, honeybadger, where are they?" The consequences of having such beautifully crafted swords was every random stranger making a weird remark about them. Whether out of jealousy, admiration or simple boredom, not a day passed without someone speaking. However, Wei Meng could read the aura of this new stranger and sighed..,Another firebender. They seemed to be taking over Ba Sing Se, imposing their fiery views and methods upon a city of firmness and peace. History already denied their access during a chaotic war, but they continued to return in different bodies and names. His emerald eyes rested on Taiyang and then upon his lotus tea, which he sipped graciously before answering the foolish question. Leave it to the Honeybadgers to continue giving him problems after resigning. "The clouds are above you, the flowers to the left and the mountains in are in the next country." Wei Meng answered nonchalantly. "Come now, Du Ya," Taiyang attempted to say, mispronouncing the name on accident, "I have no real interest in you or your gang as of now. I just come seeking a small answer. I've heard rumors that your gang is using a handful of firebenders. I want those people, not the Honeybadgers. Think of it as the great Iroh liberating this city from the Fire Nation. One firebender getting rid of another." Taiyang paid for a refill of his drink and of Wei Meng's. "Help me with this and I'll be on my way." "It is not I who seek the young fool; The young fool seeks me. At the first oracle I inform him. If he asks two or three times, it is importunity. If he importunes, I give him no information. Perseverance furthers." Wei Meng recited the infamous line from the book of changes and sipped his tea peacefully without a care for the hot-head who sat before him. His eyes remained shut, for he was the moon and his opponent became the sun in vast darkness. Those words were first spoken by Master Huashan when Wei Meng had first requested tutelage. The memories caused the swordsman breath deeply and sigh, utterly annoyed by the audacity of the firebender before him. "The firebenders are obviously with the rest of the gang. Located beneath the earth and only accessible to those who can move it. I've no longer hold connection to them. So do whatever you want." He added, standing up and heading towards the Jasmine Dragon exit. "If you know the path, then take me to them!" Taiyang said as he stood up quickly and followed the man outside. "The Huolong are not people you want in this city, whether you are with them or against them. Trust me. They are the kind who would begin civil war if they wanted, turn children into weapons, seperate loved ones." Taiyang watched as the man kept walking away, and used firebending to propel himself forward and past the man. "Stop!" Wei Meng stopped when Taiyang suddenly appeared before him, another firebender attempting to demonstrate some form of superiority. He could only laugh at the foolishness. "You speak as if I care about what happens to this city. It can burn to the ground for all I care." His heart started to flutter at the horrific actions of these international terrorist. I'll end the evils of this world through love and compassion. Childish words spoken by a naive spirit without a clue of how the realm worked. Now he could only breath deeply, exhaling the mountainous burden on his shoulder. "It'll give those children something to do besides living in an illusion. Go play hero elsewhere, you're wasting your time." Wei Meng continued past Taiyang with an aura of indifference, completely devoid of emotions. He spoke almost as if one had removed his heart and replaced it with a piece of steel. These are not my problems...Wei Meng tried to convince himself. Taiyang breathed deeply. A circle of fire burned to life around Taiyang and Wei Meng. "Trust me, this isn't about playing hero. This isn't about the city either, that is merely a side effect. This is about finding the men who ruined the lives of many, mine included. This is about finding the person they took away from me and bringing her home. I don't care about illusions or being the hero. I care about burning them. Now, lead me to them." Taiyang said, an angry scowl growing across his face with the man's continued insults and apathy. People on the streets began to run away from the area, avoiding the growing fire. "They ruined your life, not mine. I have nothing to do with your petty squabbles." Wei Meng took a second and stared into the beautiful flames dancing before him, almost enticing the swordsman to touch them. "Your vendetta's are yours alone." "Then let me show you what they can cause!" Taiyang exclaimed. The fires dancing around them began to enclose around the sword user as Taiyang jumped out of the encampment. Landing on the sign post of some building, Taiyang threw his fist forward, sending a burst of fire in the same direction. "Humph, this should be entertaining!" Wei Meng exclaimed as he drew the two beautifully crafted blades, Heibai Wuchang, and analyzed the approaching flames. A master of earthbending could tell that his stance was one of an amateur, or perhaps of one who lacked confidence in his bending capability. However, he slammed his feet with a strange mixture of ferocity and sloppiness to create a small platform of earth which launched him out of the enclosing ring. And from rolling on the dirt, the burst of menacing fire was skillfully dissected by the yang blade with a graceful spin; unfortunately singing his jacket in the process. "You'll pay for that with your fingers." Taiyang studied the earthbender's movement. A weak root, Taiyang thought to himself and he began his next attack. Jumping from the ledge, Taiyang flipped on his way down with a kick of fire, sending a fiery blade towards the earthebender. Taiyang then formed fire in his hands, molding them into whips of fire. "How about a wager, Du Ya? If I can beat you or catch your interest, you'll take me to the Huolong. I'll even get you a new jacket. So what do you say?" Taiyang said as he sent his fiery whips forward, using them to strike at Wei Meng, followed by a third whip produced from Taiyang's mouth. "I'm sorry, I don't make deals with firebenders." Wei Meng roared in enjoyment as he leapt out of the blades path. The swordsman dashed to the left flank of Taiyang in an attempt to avoid the first and second whip; slowly approaching his opponent with each evasion. Raging fire that consumes the forest stops at the edge of a calm river. He smirked. Flipping over the third whip, he flicked his wrist forward which sent the yin blade spiraling towards the enemy's chest. however, he followed closely behind in an attempt to shrink the gap between them and reach full measure. Taiyang let the whips of fire disperse as he moved to the side. Quickly, Taiyang caught the handle of flying blade and threw it back to its master. Taiyang formed sparks of fire under his hands that shaped into a compressed blade of fire. Dashing forward with the daggers, Taiyang feinted a slash of fire to catch Wei Meng off guard, before jumping behind him and using the compressed daggers to send to blades of fire. Then Taiyang slid his foot forward, sending a lower wave of fire to attack Wei Meng's root, as well as hoping to hit him as the man would probably react to the fire arches first since they are more visible and immidiate. Wei Meng caught his own sword with a smile, for Taiyang only made it easier to retrieve it. Attempting to engage me head to head? That doesn't make sense The dual swordsman contemplated the motivations of his enemy as they engaged one another. Taiyang fought with the furiocity of a trained firebender, so engaging a swordsman in blade to blade combat would be suicidal. So he insisted on switching to a simple defensive approach to the situation; aiming the point of his yang blade at the oncoming wrist of Taiyang in case he continued the strike without actually moving his own arm. But his opponent had flipped over him; as he expected since it was weird for one whose focus appeared to be firebending to suddenly use bladed weaponry. "Trying to strike from a vulnerable location." Wei Meng joked as the arches approached him. He leapt high into the air and started to swirl, using the momentum of the swords to dissect the oncoming arches with both blades while avoiding the lower wave; landing gracefully on the earth below. A swordsman's feet must be able to walk on water, earth and the air without falling through the clouds. But his landing was followed by a smooth transitioning into a lunge towards Taiyang where he would aim the tip of his blades wherever his opponent's wrist trusted outwards in an attempt to stop Taiyang from completeling a full firebending motion. Taiyang met the moving swordsman with a simple manuver. Knowing that traditional firebending would result in getting stabbed on the arms, Taiyang merely opened his mouth. In an instance, a flow of burning blue fire poured out towards the swordsman. Using his breath of fire to either burn or distract the swordsman, Taiyang jumped to a ledge and scaled upwards, above the streets and on the roof. Here, where he could move freely for a moment, Taiyang motioned his arms in what could appear as meaningless motions to the earthbender down below. However, sparks began to fly off the tip of Taiyang's fingers, and ribbons of lightning trailing behind them. Taiyang began using his favored art in firebending, lightning. Fast and powerful, lightning intrigued the firebender. A weapon he could not bend or control, merely generate and guide. Taiyang blasted the lightning outwards, aiming for Wei Meng's right arm. The lightning would not be enough to kill Wei Meng from either power or location, but it would certainly hurt and slow him down. Wei Meng gracefully spun on his forward foot to evade the cloud of fire. Dammit, he keeps getting away! He grunted at the disappointment, for the most annoying opponent was one he failed to reach. However, few could completed contemplate the power of the Nineteen Styles of Jade Maiden Sword and thus underestimated its might. Swordsmen who are limited by the distance between themselves and their opponent were unfit to call themselves masters. So Wei Meng had to implement a certain aspect into his style of battle. One that involved complex thinking and a gift in the art of unpredictability. So he took advantage of the smoke and threw both blades once more. However, his arms swayed to and fro in movements that surpassed his earlier display of earthbending. He moved with confidence and force, pulling his arms from left to right and back again. Simulatanouesly, the swords spun rapidly in a arc as they approached Taiyang like an ebony and silver saw. "A little bit more..." Wei Meng thought while guiding their movements from a distance. But the surging light and chirping noise of a thousand birds caught his attention. He heard rumors of their command over this energy but often thought it impossible. However, lightning had approached him at incredible speeds. Wei Meng could only leap out harm's way and take the brunt of the concussive explosion; catching his footing after sliding a short distance. Meanwhile the spiraling swords would almost stab into the flesh of Taiyang to only fly past, missing entirely, and embed themselves into nearby buildings. "You bastard." Wei Meng growled. He quickly threw both arms outwards and pulled them closer, forcing the blades to return to his grasp once more. "I'll decapitate for this crowd to see." Taiyang's fingers smoked from the release of lightning and watched as the swords returned to Wei Meng. "So you are a metalbender? An ability as rare as my lightning. I've only seen it once before from the head of the Earth Division in the Fire Nation military." Taiyang said, fascinated by the ability. Taiyang knew, however, that the fight was dragging on. Citizens would have reported by now to city guards of the event, and potential Honeybadgers could report to the Huolong a strange firebender was attack their former member. Taiyang thought quickly. Apathy for the city, the gang, and a hatred for hero-types. With this, Taiyang came to a conclusion. "You are loyal to yourself and your own gain. What if I paid you to help me?" Wei Meng stood up and sighed, yet again the underworld would drag him back into its deathly swamps. However the racing heart inside his chest was of enjoyment instead of fury. If more battles awaited him on this path alongside a nice payment, then why refuse? So the swordsman sheathed his blades and started to walk off but yelled back to his employer. "Come on. Before the police arrive." The Combination of Yin and Yang A Night of Planning Taiyang led his former opponent to a small apartment he had rented. Taiyang entered his room and opened the curtains to let light flood into the room. Quickly, Taiyang sat down at a small table in the center of the room. "Well, I suppose thanks for the exercise match. A metalbender using swords, suprisingly I have not encountered that before." Taiyang said as he waited for his hired help to sit as well. "So, what can I expect in the Ba Sing Se underground?" "Dirt, rocks some stones." Wei Meng joked, sitting on a nearby counter as oppose to actual furniture. Although a friendly remark meant to lighten the room, he had a smug smile as he brushed the dirt from his hair. Both the yin and yang blades were kept in their sheathes and tied to the left of his waist. "Jokes aside, we'll be facing a bunch of earthbenders with a small amount of firebenders...alongside a warrior whose might surpasses my own." He sighed, thinking of the second subordinate who defeated him multiple times before. "What is it that you seek overall?" "The firebenders are members of the Huolong. Think of the Dai Li, but as firebenders. That is what they were meant to be, but without the corruption. That didn't work out. They captured firebenders, both noble and common, and used them to breed the perfect firebenders. Word got out eventually, leading to the group being disbanded and arrested by the Fire Lord himself. However, not all of them were caught and got away, as well as some escaping custody. Now, they are trying to regroup and reform mostly to take over the Fire Nation," Taiyang explained as best he could without revealing his own life too much. "However, some want to split off and do other activities. The Huolong in this city hav taken some of the children from their breeding program and sell them as slaves and tools. I aim to rescue... them," Taiyang held back some of his personal pain, not wanting to reveal to biggest reason for his rescue. Of course Wei Meng noticed the reluctance in the speech of his newly acquired companion, but he couldn't care less about the personal issues of some firebender. As long as he was paid at the end of the job, Taiyang's happiness meant little to him. So he only sat quietly while formulating a potential plot. He knew the Honeybadger hideout thoroughly; including the various entrances and exits meant for emergancies. "The main entrance is located in an establishment nearby. When you pass by it, it appears as a normal massage parlor but is really owned by the boss's eldest son. Even with me, that route would be impossible to use for word of our arrival would reach them before we do." Wei Meng spoke carelessly. "I can tell you the children you seek are not in the hideout." He went to the fridge and took out a cold tea. "The underworld has evolved over the past few centuries and took methodologies from legitimate businesses. For example, the children you're searching for were indeed kidnapped by those firebenders. But they were given to middlemen to introduce into the market. Brought in bulk and then sold to the consumers, it increases profit while removing liabilities." Wei Meng took a sip followed by a deep breath. "There are hundreds of these middlemen located in Ba Sing Se alone. And only the organizers of the operations are given their locations and names. I only know a handful through more personal jobs. If you're searching for a specific group of kids, we'll have to retrieve the most recent ledgers and follow the money trail. But doing so won't be easy." "Then I'll do anything. I have to get her-" Taiyang paused "...them back home." Taiyang rose from his seat at the table. "Already sold... where would we get the ledgers and how would we get to the underworld? One way or another, the Huolong have to be removed. They bring shame upon the name of firebenders, no, on all people by merely existing. The sooner we get them out of the picture and get the children, I can pay you." spoke the firebender. "Once it's done, I can go home to Iroh Island." Taiyang said calmly and quietly, almost as if to himself. Her... Wei Meng could only chuckle at the sudden outburst with a smug smile and calmed eyes. But his laugh was shallow and filled with jealousy. A certain envy that bullies utilized to subjugate others by creating an invisible horse for them to sit on. That's why I chose isolation, so I don't have to suffer with this foolishness. He thought. Yet his fluttering heart betrayed the facade he attempted to convince himself of. How could someone sail over oceans, continuously facing death, to maybe save someone? Why would no one do that for me? Those burning thoughts removed the mirage of masculinity he attempted to exhibit. So he quickly yawned and feigned tiredness. "Tomorrow. The underworld is active mostly during the night, so we'll act in the morning while the demons are asleep. For the moon is their sun and our sun their moon." "Alright then, Du Ya, sleep well." Taiyang said. Taiyang sat on the chair in the room and used a blanket on it to cover up. Taiyang looked at the burning candles in the room and snapped his fingers together. Poof. The little fires burned out, casting the room into darkness save for the silver light of the moon faintly shining through the window. Taiyang's mind raced from saving her, the child he grew up with that he viewed as his sister, to the Huolong. Determination filled his golden eyes before they slowly shut as he fell asleep. Dreaming of drinking his favorite lotus tea with his sister in his small home on Iroh Island, Taiyang rested peacefully. The cawing continued throughout the night, but seemed to increase in loudness as it progressed. However, it was weird that no one dealt with the murder of crows which seemingly circled the building. Surely an angered citizen would throw a brick, a rock or even a shoe to shut them up. But the world seemed uncaring to this hypnotic orchestra. Either way he didn't care. He enjoyed the company of crows and often felt a dim connection between the two. A misunderstood creature of darkness who many considered an omen for evilness. No matter how hard he attempted to do well, they only saw a sign of destruction and war. Only the creatures of supposed evilness could understand each other, so their cawing was only music to his ears. A conversation among friends. Unfortunately, he was unable to stand up and actually look at the dancing crows in the sky. His body was frozen solid. He could only watch as he floated upwards and through the roof into a misty sky surrounded by deathly trees. "Where am I?" Crows continued cawing, attempting to answer him. "You're where you were always meant to reach, Wei Meng." A familiar voice rung out from behind him, accompanied by a strange female. "So this is the one you were telling me about. I'm eager to meet him." Yet Wei Meng found it impossible to move or even open his mouth. He could only watch as crows swarmed in a massive tornado of black feathers. Consuming everything until only darkness remained in his eyes. Darkness. "What!" Wei Meng shot upwards in a cold sweat and looked over to an open window. Where were the crows? It was dead silent outside without a trace of life. Another dream...He thought, remembering the similar sensation from before. "No...this doesn't matter...We have more pressing matters." He attempted to convince himself before falling back to sleep. The dream went kindly. The two adoptive siblings joked with one another. They joked about life, about Taiyang's old coldness. They were enjoying life. Enjoying freedom. As Taiyang poured another glass of tea for the two, the girl fell to her side, reacting in pain. Taiyang reacted quickly, and looked up to the window to call for help. Pure blackness crawled outside. Small candles in the apartment burst into brilliant blue fire as members of the Huolong took their place as ghosts of smoke and embers. "We made you, both of you. Now, it's time we end you, but first, you shall suffer by seeing her die!" shouted one of the Huolong members as Taiyang desperately tried to firebender, but to no avail. "Turning the power we gave you against us, boy? It shall not happen again." another Huolong said as the smokey figures swirled around Taiyang and the dying girl. Slowing, the smoke began to reshape, solidifying into dragons, the original lords of fire, and the room changed to that of an active volcano. "You will burn Taiyang! The fire shall consume you!" laughed one of the dragons. The dragons finally moved in to claim their prize. "You will burn!" Taiyang awoke in fear, blasting fire instinctively, the last thought he had being a monstrous roar. Taiyang breathed rapidly, trying to calm down. Producing a small fire in his hand, Taiyang stared at the flickering light, using it as a comfort, a warmth as the sun slowly began to rise. Mourning Never Comes The sun kissed the vast lands of Ba Sing Se and told the country that it was time to awaken so that they could progress forward. Birds sung their morning tunes and soft breezes kissed children who started towards school. People were unaware of the evils that had transpired over night, only the victims and those close to the victims possessed even the slightest clue. Leaving the rest to ignorantly go about their normal routine like cogs spinning in a vicious machine. However, two beings in a small apartment had awoken and prepared to delve deep into the underworld. Wei Meng finished dressing after taking a rather long shower and yawned. "Should I eat?" He asked himself, wondering about the amount of coin he possessed. "This job will surely solidify my resignation, removing any potential reconciliations with the Honeybadgers. Who knows when I'll complete this job..." The mirror had fogged over the course of his previous shower, leaving only a contorted silhouette on its surface. "Why am I doing this? It'll be easier to bring that punk to them. Present him as a gift...Forget the kids, they shouldn't have gotten caught." But those words were without actual substance. Instead, he could only grab both blades and tie them to his waist before heading out to meet Taiyang in the waiting room where he had previously laid out a map. While waiting, he made himself a cup of tea and a small meal. Taiyang sipped on his own cup of tea, with a plate of breakfast style sausage nearly empty next to him. "Well Du Ya, you know the gang and the city. What would be the best route?" asked Taiyang as he looked at the map of the city. Taiyang drank of his tea more as he marvelled at the sheer size of the city, which was more like a small nation. "I wonder how this place got to be this massive, it dwarfs Iroh Island." Wei Meng pointed to a certain area nearby that was marked with a large X. "This is the gang's largest massage parlor." He took a pen and marked a nearby street. "It also serves as a back alley entrance for some of our-I mean their-more questionable clients." He took a sip of tea and sighed, attempting to remove memories of the lovely mistress who appearantly held feelings for him months before. Unfortunately, his self-loathing blocked her advances from his view, leading to an aggressive suitor capturing her heart as he could only watch. But he never found it in himself to actually care about losing her; those emotions would only limit a spirit meant for freedom. "Splitting up would only lead to our downfall and I doubt we have the ability to defeat them all. So we're going to enter the main building and gain their trust. The issue is that they will undoubtly send word of my arrival...Meaning we have a specific amount of time to sneak in and make it here." Wei Meng drew another circle a few inches north. "The heart of the hideout. By then, the boss'll know of our presence and the hard part begins. The best option is to use secrecy. I don't know how well your skills are for infiltration, so stay close to me and only act if absolutely necessary. You might have to dispatch a few guard before they are allowed to send word of our location." Wei Meng took a few steps back and crossed his arms against his chest while staring at the overall map. "The tunnels are rather large. So they'll undoubtly have trouble keeping tabs on our movement. If we remain together, quiet, and swift, then we could even get in and get the ledger before they're onto us. The ledgers are kept nearby in a locked room. Any questions?" "No I do not. I am ready to go whenever," Taiyang said as he stood up. "Taking out guards? I have a few ways of taking care of that problem, ones you haven't seen yet. Granted, that power may be too loud. I can wait and see." Taiyang put his dishes away and folded his blanket up before placing it down on the bed. Taiyang silently remembered his dream last night before reaching down to grab his shoes. As Taiyang walked back over, his eyes caught on the swords of his hired help. The massage parlor was a massive manor filled with women clad in beautiful robes, elegantly walking across the hundreds of rooms in order to better serve customers. Clients were men of different backgrounds and varying aspects of life. For every pure heart, there we're five demons whose hands in the underworld helped expand its influence. Wei Meng recognized some clients who snarled at the traitorous swordsman. Others, who only heard of his skill, admired the assassin for his numerous successful jobs. Hell, some prepared themselves to buy his service since he was currently without a contract. But could they tame the wind? "Welcome to the Azure Maiden." A woman, wearing a blue robe, hopped to the attention of both Wei Meng and Taiyang. "I am Lan Bao," She bowed. "Overseer of this fine establishment. I was not expecting your return, Master Du-Ya." "Well, my friend here is out of town and I wanted to show him around." Wei Meng answered. The honorifics were nice, but he knew why she still referred to him as a master. It was only clever for them to do so...which meant the clock would begin as soon as she stepped away. "Ah! Not so often Master Du-Ya brings a friend. I'll bring you two of our finest jewels on the house. Suyang!" Lan Bao barked towards a girl somewhat younger than her. A fine raven-haired jewel. "Please take Master Du-Ya and his friend to our finest room." "Yes Lady Lan." Suyang bowed. "Right this way, gentleman." She started towards the designated room which Wei Meng knew all to well. However, he made sure to remain a couple steps behind Suyang and near Taiyang. Before entering the various halls, the swordsman slightly nudged his temporary accomplice and nodded at a nearby door behind a counter. The door appeared of a different composition from the entire manor but possessed a certain subtle aura which made it easy to avoid. "Stars illuminate darkness yet shadows follow light. Mountains conflict valleys and rivers mirror the heavens. Unrequited love spawns hatred...Hatred filled heart seeks love." Wei Meng recited. "Oh, I've heard of Master Du-Ya's poetry." Suyang blushed slightly yet remained facing forward in fear of offending the infamous assassin. She lead them into a wide room with two massage tables. A room large enough to fit four people, filled with the burning aroma of incense and moon flowers. "I'll return shortly with your jewels. Make yourself at home Master Du-Ya and his accomplice." When the door shut, Wei Meng leaned against it and took a few seconds of silence. After hearing footsteps disappear into the distance, he approached Taiyang and sighed. "She's going to send word to the boss which means we have a small window of opportunity to break in. The main entrance is extremely guarded and the way they expect us to enter. We'll need a diversion." "A diversion? I see, give me a moment." Taiyang said as he talked to a grand table in the room. On th etable sat a variety of bottles of different drinks. From finely filtered water, to assorted alcohol, Taiyang glance around before pouring a glass of baijiu, a grain-based alcohol. Taiyang walked to the door the pair had entered in a check to see if he was clear. Every man and woman in the establishment were far to focused on other activities and engagements to be paying attention to the back room. Pouring the alcohol from the glass and on to the ground, a large puddle was made as it began to flow down the hallway as well. Taiyang breathed in, disliking the smell of the liquid and happy he did not have to drink it. A small fire ignited from the tip of his fingers as he walked away from the spilled alcohol. With a swift motion, the tiny fireball was thrown into the alcohol. Crimson, orange, and yellow flames erupted from the fire and began to spread down the hall. The fire, was by no means, made to be hot enough or large enough to burn down the building, but to catch the attention of the guests. Patrons screamed, shouting of a fire as many began to run out of the building. People with water, earthbending, and other means to extinguish the fire were knocked down in the chaos as people scrambled to get out of the building in case the fire got worse. "There, a diversion. I assume guards will be on there way to help in the situation, and straglers..." Taiyang said as lightning jumped off his fingers in a small bolt, "can be picked off." Taiyang moved his arms in a way as to tell Wei to take it away. "Well a simple rumor would had sufficed..." Wei Meng sighed, leave it to a firebender to create such a large commotion. But at least the guards and immediate gang members would be preoccupied with dealing with the fire. "Three, two, one." Boom. The secret door shot open with three Honeybadger members running to assess the growing situation. The surrounding alcohol only added to the fire which soon grew rather immense. Wei Meng nodded towards Taiyang and darted towards the unguarded door which lead to a rather large green hall with a few flights of stairs heading downwards. The dimly lit path was illuminated with green crystals hung above. "We'll have to take a quick side trip and wait for the situation to die down a bit." Wei Meng whispered. "We're near-" A sudden jolt shot down his spine; his hand grabbed his partner and dragged him to the nearest tunnel opening where they hid in the shadows of a few boxes of liquor. Minutes of silence had passed before a group of earthbenders suddenly emerged from a thick darkness, only speaking once passing by. "Fire?! I bet that sword wielding bastard is behind it!" A grunt roared as they ascended the flight of stairs. "That was close." Wei Meng sighed. "Come on it's this way." He started through the ominous tunnel, walking nonchalantly yet with his guard sharpened. "I'll have to break down the entrance so be prepared to fight Taiyang followed the metalbender closely and nodded. "When we get to the entrance, what does it look like beyond there? Depending on the structure, I have a way that can take out many guards at once." Taiyang said as he thought of his remaining power that he hasn't used in some time, the one ability Wei Meng has yet to see. Regardless, Taiyang prepared to fight as the entrance grew closer to the duo. "It's a massive space filled with crystals and surrounded by different tunnels, each leading to different establishments like the one we recently exited." Wei Meng recalled as they approached a massive stone wall. It was a dead end, which would normally cause problems for someone without bending skills. He sighed and took a few steps back, seemingly nervous. Skills you inherit are useless...The only thing that matters is the abilities you work to achieve. He recited to himself. He nervously started to pull his limbs to and fro, pushing and pulling an invisible force. He felt the inner energy rushing throughout a certain pathways in an irregular motion. Sloppy. It took him twice as long to do something a moderate earthbender could accomplish. But either way, the stone slab was utterly destroyed by an invisible force. Wei Meng could only run through, attempting to make it appear as if he meant to do that, as oppose to simply bringing down the earth. The room was empty. Where he thought there was going to be numerous guards prepared to battle, not a soul remained. "Shit." He whispered. "Why is it empty?" questioned Taiyang as he released his focus, the chi of his body settling down. Taiyang entered the room after Wei Meng, and formed a fire in his hand to increase the lighting of the area. Peering down the multiple tunnels, Taiyang wondered just how massive the underground system is. "Seems like this heist has gotten that much more difficult." Taiyang could only stand still, waiting for direction from the swordsman. He knew nothing of the cave, and with the network on alert, him escaping the city would prove to be more challenging without help of some sort. Taiyang knew that finding the Huolong would never be easy, but so far, this has proved to become the most challenging battle yet. A sudden jolt. Wei Meng grabbed Taiyang's arm and pulled him away from the approaching boulder which smashed against the earth. "It's a trap." "Humph, you still have that sharpness, you always were impossible to sneak up on." A voice boomed from behind. Suddenly, earthbenders emerged from beneath the two partners in a circular formation; completely surrounding both and in battle stance. "I never thought Du-Ya would betray us." "Shen Yuan," Wei Meng smirked. "I was wondering if I'd see you here." "Of course. You think your little stint yesterday at the most popular tea shop in Ba Sing Se went unheard. You're more foolish than I thought. I guess it's true, you're nothing without the boss." Shen Yuan, who had stood atop a tunnel's entrance two stories up, leapt to the ground and approached the circle. Behind him were two firebender soldiers. "Ha! I was nothing even before the boss!" He snapped back joyously. "That's why I'm stronger than you. The leaf which departs from the branch travels farthest." Category:Roleplays Category:Tales of Grandeur